Review of Spirit of France ferry

MS Spirit of France ferry is a Ro-Ro passenger vessel owned and operated by the UK company P&O FERRIES. The ship has max capacity of 2000 passengers and 1059 cars (or 180 lorries). The vessel was launched in 2012 and currently operates on the UK-France ferry route Dover-Calais (crossing time 1,5 hours).

Cabins

As cruise ferry, Spirit of France has no cabins (passenger staterooms) due to the route's short crossing distance. Instead, the ship offers Reserved Seating Lounge - a luxury Club-class bar lounge furnished with comfortable leather couches. Reserved seats are available for pre-booking. These deals are inclusive of complimentary beverages (champagne, tea, coffee, soft drinks) and newspapers.

The ship has a dedicated family lounge with comfortable seating. The lounge is served by its own bar (light snacks and beverages - tea, coffee, soft drinks). During summer months opens an outdoor / open-air alfresco bar.

Shopping at the onboard shops offers a wide choice of brand products at discounted prices in comparison to UK high street prices. Up to 40% discounts are offered on luxury perfumes, skincare, cosmetics. Up to 30% discounts are offered on alcohol (spirits, wines, beers). The shops also sell bestseller books, newspapers, magazines, toys, games,

Car decks

Follows a list of car decks related safety procedures:

All onboard emergency instructions are displayed in staterooms, on the TV screens and at the ship's assembly stations (aka muster stations). Life jackets are issued at the assembly stations. In case of emergency, the use of elevators / passenger lifts is forbidden.

Spirit of France ferry wiki

On August 8, 2008, P&O Ferries signed an EUR 360 million shipbuilding contract with Aker Yards (STX Finland, Rauma shipyard) for the construction of 2 cruiseferries specifically designed for the Dover-Calais ferry route. These were the largest ferries ever built for the English Channel crossing service. The new design featured an optimized hull for minimum fuel consumption. The ship is powered by four MAN marine diesel engines (model 8ZAL40S) with total power output 38,4 MW.

The newbuilds were the world's first passenger ferries to comply with IMO's new SRtP ("Safe Return to Port") requirements. These new SOLAS regulations were applicable to passenger ships with keels laid after July 1, 2010, and with LOA lengths 120+ m (394 ft). The new rules require that, in case a passenger vessel becomes a casualty, its onboard basic services will be provided and its main systems will remain operational to allow safe return to port.

On May 13, 2010, P&O Ferries officially announced the vessels' names and their scheduled deliveries - "Spirit of Britain" (January 2011) and "Spirit of France" (January 2012).

On June 8, 2010, at the Rauma shipyard Spirit of Britain was floated out and Spirit of France's keel was laid.

Spirit of France was floated out on February 18, 2011. The ship was officially delivered on January 24, 2012. In the same day started the 4-day long, 1400 ml (2250 km) relocation voyage from Rauma to Dover (arriving on January 28). The ship's inaugural crossing Dover to Calais (with passengers) was on February 9.

An interesting fact is that PandO refused to accept ferry's delivery due to vibration problems during its sea trials in Finland.